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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · hide · pitcher · roll · lash · rest · bass · branch

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. roll — a list
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bass — low music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com